Prominent Gaza Islamic scholar issues fatwa condemning Hamas’s Oct. 7 onslaught

A prominent Islamic scholar in Gaza has issued a fatwa condemning Hamas’s October 7 terror onslaught against Israel.

The six-page ruling by Salman al-Dayah, a former dean of the Sharia and Law Department at Gaza’s Islamic University, criticizes Hamas for “violating Islamic principles governing jihad.”

“If the pillars, causes, or conditions of jihad are not met, it must be avoided in order to avoid destroying people’s lives. This is something that is easy to guess for our country’s politicians, so the attack must have been avoided,” reads the Fatwa translated by BBC.

Dayah says the massive numbers of civilian casualties and widespread destruction in Gaza demonstrate that Hamas’s attack contradicted the teachings of Islam.

He argues that Hamas failed in “keeping its fighters away from the homes of defenseless [Palestinian] civilians and their shelters.”

He cites verses in the Quran that restrict Jihad that provokes an excessive response.

He stresses that Muslim leaders are obligated to ensure the safety of non-combatants. The majority of those killed on October 7 were civilians.

????BREAKING: Prof. Dr. Salman Al-Daya, Dean of the College of Sharia and Law at the Islamic University of Gaza and Gaza’s foremost religious authority, has issued a series of six statements condemning Hamas leaders' blatant disregard for Gazan lives—and has called on Hamas to step… pic.twitter.com/NIAF0OMVN5

— Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) November 7, 2024